Friday 29 July 2016

A Timestamp Seeking Monkey Dives Into Android Gallery Imgcache

Are you sure?! Those waters look pretty turdy ...
UPDATE 4AUG2016: Added video thumbnail imgcache findings and modified version of script for binary timestamps.

Did you know that an Android device can cache images previously viewed with the stock Gallery3D app?
These cached images can occur in multiple locations throughout the cache files. Their apparent purpose is to speed up Gallery loading times.
If a user views an image and then deletes the original picture, an analyst may still be able to recover a copy of the viewed image from the cache. Admittedly, the cached images will not be as high a quality as the original, but they can still be surprisingly detailed. And if the pictures no longer exist elsewhere on the filesystem - "That'll do monkey, that'll do ..."

The WeAre4n6 blog has already documented their observations about Android imgcache here.
So why are we re-visiting this?
We were asked to see if there was any additional timestamp or ordering information in the cached pictures. If a device camera picture only exists in the Gallery cache, it won't have the typical YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.JPG filename. Instead, it will be embedded in a cache file with a proprietary structure and will need to be carved out. These embedded cached JPGs do not have any embedded metadata (eg EXIF).
An unnamed commercial phone forensics tool will carve the cached pictures out but it currently does not extract any timestamp information.

Smells like an opportunity for some monkey style R&D eh?
Or was that just Papa Monkey's flatulence striking again? An all banana diet can be so bittersweet :D

Special Thanks to:
- Terry Olson for posting this question about the Gallery3D imgcache on the Forensic Focus Forum and then kindly sharing a research document detailing some imgcache structures.
- Jason Eddy and Jeremy Dupuis who Terry acknowledged as the source of the research document.
- LSB and Rob (@TheHexNinja) for their help and advice in researching the imgcache.
- Cindy Murphy (@CindyMurph) for sharing her recollections of a case involving imgcache and listening to this monkey crap on.
- JoAnn Gibb for her suggestions and also listening to this monkey crap on.

Our main test devices were a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (SM-910G) and a Galaxy Note 4 Edge (SM-915G) both running Android 5.1.1.

Our initial focus was the following cache file:
userdata:/media/0/Android/data/com.sec.android.gallery3d/cache/imgcache.0

After an image is viewed fullscreen in the Gallery app, imgcache.0 appears to be populated with the viewed picture plus six (sometimes less) other images. It is suspected the other cached pictures are chosen based on the display order of the parent gallery and will be taken from before/after the viewed image. If a picture is found in this cache file, it is likely that the user would have seen it (either from the parent gallery view or when they viewed it fullscreen).
From our testing, this file contains the largest sized cached images. From the filesystem last modified times and file sizes, it is suspected that when the imgcache.0 file reaches a certain size, it gets renamed to imgcache.1 and newly viewed images then start populating imagecache.0.  Due to time constraints, we did not test for this rollover behaviour. By default, the initial imgcache.0 and imgcache.1 files appear to be 4 bytes long.

Also in the directory were mini.0 and micro.0 cache files which contained smaller cached images. Similarly to imgcache.0, these files also had  .1 files.

mini.0 contains the smallest sized, square clipped, thumbnail versions of the cached images. They appear to be similar to the images displayed from the Gallery preview list that is shown when the user long presses on a fullscreen viewed Gallery image.

micro.0 contains non-clipped images which are smaller versions of the images in imgcache.0 but larger in size than the images in mini.0. These appear to be populated when the user views a gallery of pictures. Launching the Gallery app can be enough to populate this cache (likely depends on the default Gallery app view setting).

imgcache.0 has been observed to contain a different number of images to mini.0 or micro.0. It is suspected this is due to how the images were viewed/previewed from within the Gallery app.

Other files were observed in the cache directory but their purpose remains unknown. eg imgcache.idx, micro.idx, mini.idx were all compromised mainly of zeroed data.

UPDATE 4AUG2016:
A device video was also created/saved on the test device and displayed via the Gallery app. A corresponding video thumbnail was consequently cached in the imgcache.0, mini.0 and micro.0 files. These video cache records were written in a slightly different format to the picture cache records.

The imgcache structure

Based on the supplied research document and test device observations, here's the record structure we observed for each Galaxy Note 4 “imgcache.0” picture record:
  • Record Size (4 Byte LE Integer) = Size in bytes from start of this field until just after the end of the JPG
  • Item Path String (UTF16-LE String) = eg /local/image/item/
  • Index Number (UTF16-LE String) =  eg 44
  • + separator (UTF16-LE String) = eg +
  • Unix Timestamp Seconds (UTF16-LE String) = eg 1469075274
  • + separator (UTF16-LE String) = eg +
  • Unknown Number String (UTF16-LE String) = eg 1
  • Cached JPG (Binary) = starts with 0xFFD8 ... ends with 0xFFD9
The cached JPG is a smaller version of the original picture.
The Unix Timestamp Seconds is referenced to UTC and should be adjusted for local time. We can use a program like DCode to translate it into a human readable format (eg 1469075274 = Thu, 21 July 2016 04:27:54. UTC).
The Index Number seems to increase for each new picture added to the cache and may help determine the order in which the picture was viewed.

There are typically 19 bytes between each imgcache.0 record. However, the first record in imgcache.0 usually has 20 bytes before the first record’s 4 byte Record Size.
The record structure shown above was also observed to be re-used in the “micro” and “mini” cache files.

UPDATE 4AUG2016:
Here's the record structure we observed for each Galaxy Note 4 “imgcache.0” video thumbnail record:

  •     Record Size (4 Byte LE Integer) = Size in bytes from start of this field until just after the end of the JPG
  •     Item Path String (UTF16-LE String) = eg /local/video/item/
  •     Index Number (UTF16-LE String) =  eg 44
  •     + separator (UTF16-LE String) = eg +
  •     Unix Timestamp Milliseconds (UTF16-LE String) = eg 1469075274000
  •     + separator (UTF16-LE String) = eg +
  •     Unknown Number String (UTF16-LE String) = eg 1
  •     Cached JPG (Binary) = starts with 0xFFD8 ... ends with 0xFFD9

The Unix Timestamp Milliseconds is referenced to UTC and should be adjusted for local time. We can use a program like DCode to translate it into a human readable format (eg 1469075274000 = Thu, 21 July 2016 04:27:54. UTC).

The item path string format did not appear to vary for a picture/video saved to the SD card versus internal phone memory.

The Samsung Note 4 file format documented above was NOT identical with other sample test devices including a Moto G (XT1033), a Samsung Galaxy Core Prime (SM-G360G) and a Samsung J1 (SM-J100Y).
The Moto G’s Gallery app cache record size did not include itself (ie 4 bytes smaller) and the Galaxy Core Prime / J1’s Gallery app cache record did not utilize a UTF16LE timestamp string. Instead, it used a LE 8 byte integer representing the Unix timestamp in milliseconds (for BOTH picture and video imgcache records). This was written between the end of the path string and the start of the cached JPG’s 0xFFxD8.
These differences imply that a scripted solution will probably require modifications on a per device/per app basis.

UPDATE 4AUG2016:
As a result of this testing, a second script (imgcache-parse-mod.py) was written to parse Galaxy S4 (GT-i9505)/ Galaxy Core Prime / J1 imgcache files which appear to share the same imgcache record structures. Please refer to the initial comments section of the imgcache-parse-mod.py script for a full description of that imgcache structure. This modified script will take the same input arguments as the original imgcache-parse.py script described in the next section.

Scripting

A Python 2 script (imgcache-parse.py) was written to extract JPGs from “imgcache”, “micro” and “mini” cache files to the same directory as the script.

UPDATE 4AUG2016:
The script searches the given cache file (eg imgcache.0) for the UTF16LE encoded "/local/image/item/" and/or “/local/video/item/” strings, finds the record size and then extracts the record's embedded JPG to a separate file. The script also outputs an HTML table containing the extracted JPGs and various metadata.

An example HTML output table looks like:

Example HTML output table for picture imgcache records

Example HTML output table entry for a video imgcache record


The extracted JPG filename is constructed as follows:

[Source-Cache-Filename]_pic_[Hex-Offset-of-JPG]_[Unix-Timestamp-sec]_[Human-Timestamp].jpg
OR
[Source-Cache-Filename]_vid_[Hex-Offset-of-JPG]_[Unix-Timestamp-ms]_[Human-Timestamp].jpg

The script also calculates the MD5 hash for each JPG (allowing for easier detection of duplicate images) and prints the filesize and the complete item path string.
Each HTML table record entry is printed in the same order as it appears in the input cache file. That is, the top row represents the first cache record and the bottom row represents the last cache record.

The script was validated with Android 5.1.1 and the Gallery3d app v2.0.8131802.
You can download it from my Github site here.

Here is the help for the script:
C:\Python27\python.exe imgcache-parse.py
Running imgcache-parse.py v2016-08-02

Usage:  imgcache-parse.py -f inputfile -o outputfile

Options:
  -h, --help   show this help message and exit
  -f FILENAME  imgcache file to be searched
  -o HTMLFILE  HTML table File
  -p           Parse cached picture only (do not use in conjunction with -v)
  -v           Parse cached video thumbnails only (do not use in conjunction with -p)

Here is an example of how to run the script (from Windows command line with the Python 2.7 default install). This will process/extract BOTH pictures and video cache records (default):

C:\Python27\python.exe imgcache-parse.py -f imgcache.0 -o opimg0.html
Running imgcache-parse.py v2016-08-02

Paths found = 14

/local/image/item/44+1469075274+1 from offset = 0X18
imgcache.0_pic_0X5A_1469075274_2016-07-21T04-27-54.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 28968 from offset = 0X5A

/local/image/item/43+1469073536+1 from offset = 0X7199
imgcache.0_pic_0X71DB_1469073536_2016-07-21T03-58-56.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 75324 from offset = 0X71DB

/local/image/item/41+1469054648+1 from offset = 0X1982E
imgcache.0_pic_0X19870_1469054648_2016-07-20T22-44-08.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 33245 from offset = 0X19870

/local/image/item/40+1469051675+1 from offset = 0X21A64
imgcache.0_pic_0X21AA6_1469051675_2016-07-20T21-54-35.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 40744 from offset = 0X21AA6

/local/image/item/39+1469051662+1 from offset = 0X2B9E5
imgcache.0_pic_0X2BA27_1469051662_2016-07-20T21-54-22.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 30698 from offset = 0X2BA27

/local/video/item/38+1469051577796+1 from offset = 0X33228
imgcache.0_vid_0X33270_1469051577796_2016-07-20T21-52-57.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 34931 from offset = 0X33270

/local/image/item/37+1469051566+1 from offset = 0X3BAFA
imgcache.0_pic_0X3BB3C_1469051566_2016-07-20T21-52-46.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 28460 from offset = 0X3BB3C

/local/image/item/27+1390351440+1 from offset = 0X42A7F
imgcache.0_pic_0X42AC1_1390351440_2014-01-22T00-44-00.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 97542 from offset = 0X42AC1

/local/image/item/28+1390351440+1 from offset = 0X5A7DE
imgcache.0_pic_0X5A820_1390351440_2014-01-22T00-44-00.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 122922 from offset = 0X5A820

/local/image/item/29+1390351440+1 from offset = 0X78861
imgcache.0_pic_0X788A3_1390351440_2014-01-22T00-44-00.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 127713 from offset = 0X788A3

/local/image/item/30+1390351440+1 from offset = 0X97B9B
imgcache.0_pic_0X97BDD_1390351440_2014-01-22T00-44-00.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 97100 from offset = 0X97BDD

/local/image/item/31+1390351440+1 from offset = 0XAF740
imgcache.0_pic_0XAF782_1390351440_2014-01-22T00-44-00.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 66576 from offset = 0XAF782

/local/image/item/32+1390351440+1 from offset = 0XBFBA9
imgcache.0_pic_0XBFBEB_1390351440_2014-01-22T00-44-00.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 34746 from offset = 0XBFBEB

/local/image/item/33+1390351440+1 from offset = 0XC83BC
imgcache.0_pic_0XC83FE_1390351440_2014-01-22T00-44-00.jpg
JPG output size(bytes) = 26865 from offset = 0XC83FE

Processed 14 cached pictures. Exiting ...

The above example output also printed the HTML table we saw previously.
Some further command line examples:
C:\Python27\python.exe imgcache-parse.py -f imgcache.0 -o output.html -p
(will parse/output picture cache items ONLY)

C:\Python27\python.exe imgcache-parse.py -f imgcache.0 -o output.html -v
(will parse/output video thumbnail cache items ONLY)

Testing

During testing of the Gallery app - device camera pictures, a screenshot and a picture saved from an Internet browser were viewed. Cached copies of these pictures were subsequently observed in the “imgcache.0”, “mini.0” and “micro.0” cache files.
From our testing, the Unix timestamp represents when the picture was taken/saved rather than the time it was browsed in the Gallery app.
This was tested for by taking camera picture 1 on the device, waiting one minute, then taking picture 2. We then waited another minute before viewing picture 1 in the Gallery app, waiting one minute and then viewing picture 2.
Running the imgcache-parse.py script and viewing the resultant output HTML table confirmed that the timestamp strings reflect the original picture’s created time and not the Gallery viewed time. The HTML table also displayed the order of the imgcache.0 file - picture 1 was written first, then picture 2.
We then cleared the Gallery app cache and viewed picture 2 in the Gallery app followed by picture 1.
Running the imgcache-parse.py script again and viewing the resultant output HTML table displayed the order of the imgcache.0 file. Picture 2 was written first, then picture 1.

UPDATE 4AUG2016:
A device video was also created (20160802_155401.mp4), uploaded to Dropbox (via app v2.4.4.8) and then downloaded and viewed in the Gallery app. The imgcache.0 record timestamp for the created video (1470117241703 = 05:54:01) differed to the imgcache.0 timestamp for the downloaded video (1470117253000 = 05:54:13). This difference of approximately 12 seconds was slightly longer than the 11 second video duration.
It is suspected that the created video’s imgcache timestamp represents when the original video was first being written and the downloaded video’s imgcache timestamp represents when the original video was finalised to the filesystem.
The video thumbnails displayed in the Gallery app and imgcache for each video were also different. The downloaded video thumbnail appeared to be from approximately 1 second into the video. The created video thumbnail seemed to be the first frame of the video. The MD5 hashes of both video files were identical.

As per LSB's helpful suggestion, rather than take a full image of the test phone for each acquisition of cache files, we plugged our test device into a PC and used Windows Explorer to browse to the Phone\Android\data\com.sec.android.gallery3d\cache folder and copy the cache files to our PC. This saved a significant amount of imaging time. To minimize any synchronization issues, the phone should be unplugged/re-plugged between file copies.


Final Thoughts

Depending on the device, it may be possible to determine the created timestamp of a picture viewed and cached from the Android Gallery app. The Gallery cache may also include pictures which are no longer available elsewhere on the device.
A Python script (imgcache-parse.py) was created to extract various metadata and the cached images from a Samsung Note 4 Gallery app’s (imgcache, micro and mini) cache files.
UPDATE 4AUG2016:A modified version of this script (imgcache-parse-mod.py) was also created to handle binary timestamps as observed on Galaxy S4 / J1 / Core Prime sample devices.

It is STRONGLY recommended that analysts validate their own device/app version combinations before running these scripts. Your mileage will vary!
For example, take a picture using the device camera and validate its YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.JPG filename/metadata against the timestamp in the item path (if its there).
For case data, look for device images with date/time information in them (eg pictures of newspapers, receipts etc. or device screenshots) to increase the confidence level in extracted timestamps.

The Gallery app was not present in various Android 6.0 test devices that we looked at. It may have been usurped by the Google Photos app. However, we have seen the Gallery app on Android 5 and Android 4 devices which would still make up the majority of devices currently out there.

Monkey doesn't have the time/inclination but further areas of research could be:
- Decompiling the Gallery .apk and inspecting the Java code.
- Rollover functionality of the cache files (eg confirm how imgcache.1 get populated).
- Why there can be multiple copies of the same image (with same MD5) appearing at multiple offsets within the same imgcache file.
- Determining how the cache record index number is being calculated.
- Determining the “imgcache.idx”, “micro.idx”, “mini.idx” files purpose.

Anyhoo, it would be great to hear from you in the comments section (or via email) if you end up using these scripts for an actual case. Or if you have any further observations to add (don't forget to state your Android version and device please).

Sorry, but for mental health reasons I will NOT recover your dick pics for you. ie Requests for personal image recovery will be ignored. If you Google for "JPG file carver", you should find some programs that can help you recover/re-live those glorious tumescent moments.

Can you tell how working in forensics has affected my world view? ;)

Monday 4 July 2016

Panel Beaten Monkey



FYI: A "Panel Beater" = Auto body mechanic in Monkeytown-ese
This Monkey was recently invited to shit himself sit on a SANS DFIR Summit panel discussing Innovation in Mobile Forensics with an All-Star cast of Andrew Hoog, Heather Mahalik, Cindy Murphy and Chris Crowley. While it rated well with the audience, personally (because its all about THIS monkey!) - it seemed that whenever I thought of something relevant, another panel member chirped up with a similar idea and/or the discussion moved on to the next question.
I felt it was kinda difficult to contribute something meaningful yet concise in a 30 second sound bite. Especially for my first open question speaking gig.
Monkey might need to decrease his deferential politeness and/or increase his use of assertive poo flinging in future panel discussions. Alternative suggestions are also welcome in the comments :)

Here's the synopsis of the panel from the DFIR Summit Program ...
Puzzle Solving and Science: The Secret Sauce of Innovation in Mobile Forensics
In today’s world, technology (especially mobile device technology) moves at a much faster pace than any of us can keep up with, and available training and research doesn’t always address the problems we encounter. As forensic examiners we face the daily challenges of new apps, new, updated and obscure operating systems, malware, secure apps, pass code and password protected phones, encoding and encryption problems, new artifacts, and broken hardware in order to obtain the evidence we need in a legally defensible and forensically sound manner.  In this session, learn from consistent and experienced innovators in the mobile forensics field the tips, tricks, and mindset that they bring to bear on the toughest problems and how to move beyond cookie cutter forensics towards an approach that allows you to successfully solve and own problems others might consider too hard to even try.


Anyhoo, the initial concept was to have several one word themed slides and discuss how these traits can help with innovation in mobile forensics.
Due to a panel format change, the original slides didn't get much play time so monkey thought he'd run through them now and present his thoughts with a focus on advice for those newer to mobile forensics. Some of the points made here may have been mentioned during the panel by other speakers but at least here I have time to elaborate and present my point of view. Bonus huh?

Now let's meet the panel ... Can you tell that we went for a superhero introductory theme?

Heather Mahalik!

Cindy Murphy!

Chris Crowley!


Andrew Hoog!

Cheeky4n6monkey!
 And now onto the rest of the slides ...

Curiosity


This is what attracts most of us to forensics. How does "Stuff" work and given a set of resultant data, how can we reconstruct what happened?
Documenting your curiosity (via blog post, white paper, journal article) is a great way of both sharing knowledge with the community and demonstrating your ability to research and think independently.
In mobile forensics, curiosity will usually lead to hex diving especially when hunting for new artifacts.
Curiosity naturally leads to "Squirrel chasing" where one interesting artifact can lead you to many others. So you might start out with one focus and end up discovering a bunch of cool artifacts.

Creativity


Our ability to create solutions depends on our paint set. The wider array of skills you have as a mobile forensic examiner, the more creative you can be - especially as mobile devices are a combination of both hardware and software.
For inspiration, background knowledge and anticipating future trends, read research papers, blogs, books, patents, mobile device service manuals/schematics and industry standards (eg eMMC JEDEC standard). Knowing the background details today will help you analyze tomorrow's device.
Start with a popular make/model and learn how a device works. Go to ifixit.com and the FCC website for pictures of device breakdowns. Read up on how eMMC Flash memory devices work. You don't have to be able to MacGyver a mobile device on a desert island but familiarize yourself with the fundamental concepts (eg eMMC memory has a NAND Controller acting as the interface to the actual NAND memory).
Look at how an SQLite database is structured. Most apps rely on these types of databases to store their data. The official website is a great place to start.
Develop/practise skills in soldering, chipoff, network forensics, malware reverse engineering, scripting for artifacts.
Know how to find/make/use automated tools. Tools can be used as intended/documented (eg NetworkMiner to read .pcaps) or in more novel ways (eg use an Android emulator to create app artifacts and save on rooting test devices/acquisition time).

Scientific Method

As mobile devices change (use of devices, underlying hardware, encryption, new apps/OS artifacts) we need to be able to record our observations in a structured, repeatable way and be able to communicate our findings to others.
The best way is to create your own data on a test device using a documented set of known actions. As Adam Savage from Mythbusters says: "Remember, kids, the only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down".
Also, as Mari Degrazia (and Meoware Kitty) showed us at the DFIR Summit, you should also "Trust But Verify" your tools.

Perseverance


Don't let failure discourage you if/when it comes.
You may need to use a different technique or change your assumptions. Or wait for new developments by someone else and revisit.
There may be more than one solution. Evaluate which is better or worse. The faster method is not always the most comprehensive.
You are not alone. Chances are someone else in the community may have the keys to your problem. Ask around Twitter, forensic forums and your professional network.

Teamwork/Collaboration


No one monkey knows ALL THE THINGS.
I find it helpful to email a trusted group of mobile forensic gurus and describe what I am seeing. Even if they are not able to help directly, it forces me to structure my thinking and help me question my approach.
Having a trusted group you can bounce ideas/findings off helps both yourself and potentially everyone in the group who may not have the time to otherwise investigate. The increased pool of experience and potential access to more varied test data are added bonuses as well. There is also an inherent double checking of your analysis.
Communicate your ideas often. Even if you start feeling like a spam monkey, realize that people can come up with amazing ideas/suggestions when prompted with the right stimulus.
Share your innovation with the community - they may be able to help you improve it and/or adapt it for another purpose that you never would have thought of.

Choose your team wisely though. There are some "One way transaction" types who you can help and then never hear from again. Be aware that it is a small community and word does get around about potential time wasters/bullshitters. 
Alternatively, you might be contacted by some rude farker after some free advice/labour - eg "You seem like you know what you are doing. Here's my problem ..."
Realize that being polite/considerate goes a long way to building the required level of trust. Recognize that you are probably asking someone to give up their free time for your cause.
Give team mates a default "opt out" of receiving your spam. For example, "If you wish to keep receiving these types of emails, please let me know. Otherwise, Thankyou for your time." and if you don't hear back, stop sending shit. Most people in forensics will be keen to discover new artifacts/research but be sure to try to organize your thoughts before hitting send.

Manage people's expectations. If you don't know or are not sure - it is better to under promise and over deliver later. Don't feel bad about saying "I don't know" or "I'm currently working on other things and don't have the time right now".

Luck


I believe that you can make your own "Luck" through being prepared when the opportunity presents itself.
For example, I had difficulties landing a forensics job after finishing my graduate studies in Forensic Computing. The market here in Monkeytown was relatively small compared to the US.
Through personal research projects that I blogged about and multiple US internships, I was able to land a rare and Monkeytown based forensic research dream job for which I am still counting my blessings. Having a documented prior body of work helped make the recruitment process so much easier (it also helped that there were technical people in charge of the recruiting).
Pure forensic research jobs seem to be rare in this industry - most positions seems to require a significant element of case work/billable hours. So I really appreciate the ability to pick an area or device and "research the shit out out of it".

On the other hand, occasionally in a case, you can have some plain old good fortune such as when Cindy Murphy and I were looking at a Windows Phone 8 device and we found an SMS stating "Da Code is ..." (which ended up being the PIN code for the phone).


Questions?



I just included this slide because I think it was one of my better 'toons in the slide deck :)

Final Thoughts

Physical fitness and rest are also important factors in staying creative. In the past, I've had some difficulties sleeping which obviously had an adverse affect on my work. A light regimen of regular exercise (15 minutes x 3 times per week) on the stationary bike has worked wonders on my tiredness levels and aerobic fitness. The paunch still remains a work in progress however ;)
For those interested, check out Dr Michael Mosely and Peta Bee's excellent research book on High Intensity Training (HIT) called FastExercise. It shows how you don't have to spend a huge amount of time at the gym to start seeing some immediate health benefits.

So long as you remain committed to learning, the innovation will come. Don't sweat about the non creative periods.

Learning to script is a good way of forcing you to understand how data is stored at the binary level. Python is a popular choice in forensics for its readability, many existing code libraries and large user base.

A library of "most likely to be encountered" test devices can help you to create before/after reference data sets to validate your research. These may be sourced privately from online (eg eBay) or from previous cases.

When public speaking, I have to learn to project my voice more. Elgin from the SANS AV crew kindly took the time after the panel to advise me to speak more from the diaphragm in the future. Concrete feedback like this is the best way to improve my speaking ability. Having said that, maybe monkey also needs to dose up on the caffeine before the next panel so he can react quicker/with more urgency. I'm guessing experience is the best teacher though.

The 2016 SANS DFIR Summit Presentation Slides are now available from here. Get them while they're hot!

Special Thanks to Jennifer Santiago (Director of Content Development & SANS Summit Speaker Wrangler) for her patience in dealing with this first time speaker/panellist.
Special Thanks also to my fellow panellists Andrew, Chris, Cindy and Heather for welcoming this monkey as a peer rather than a curiosity.

Not to get all heavy and philosophical on you but I found this quote that pretty much sums up my thoughts on innovation. It is from Nguyen Quyen who apparently was a Vietnamese Anti-French Colonist from the early part of the 20th Century. Ain't Google great?

"Successful innovation is not a single breakthrough. It is not a sprint. It is not an event for the solo runner. Successful innovation is a team sport, it's a relay race."

Good luck quoting that on a panel and not sounding like a complete wanker though ;)

If anyone has some suggestions for how I can improve my panel talking skills or would like to share some tips on innovation in mobile forensics, please leave a comment. Thanks!